Aur Imprimariá · 2022
Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Libre
by Jesvin Yeo
- A' Design Award d'Aur 2022 in Imprimariá
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 658,669
- Verification code C175C46C2E · Verify this award
Colors
About Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Libre
Lo libre utiliza lo gaufratge 3D per documentar e metre en valor los detalhs intricats de las òbras meticulosament fachas pels artisans tradicionals de Singapor, de las barcas dragon de papièr e las joias indianas fins a las sabatas perladas peranakanas. Las paginas coloradas simbolizan la montada e la davalada de l'artisanat tradicional, del moment que l'industria comença son periòde de desvolopament (terne) fins a son edat d'aur (jaune) e pauc a pauc se desbota (blanc). Un pastel de gessa es juntat per permetre als lectors d'ombrar las paginas e descobrir los arts perduts d'aqueste patrimòni cultural immaterial de Singapor, perque sols nosautres, los umans, podem lo gardar, lo sosténer e lo far tornar.
About the A' Design Award d'Aur
Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Libre a ganhat la distincion A' Design Award d'Aur, una reconeissença immensament prestigiosa acordada a de designs de primièra qualitat, meravilhoses e excellents. Los ganhaires de l'Aur son de creacions extrèmament innovantas, visionàrias e esbleugissentas, que reflectisson lo prodigi, la sabença e la proeça de lors designers. S'espèra que Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Libre siá una invencion fòrça lausada, que dintra de tendéncias e monumentala, que provesís un valor sens precedent. Aqueste design ganhaire de la distincion A' Design Award d'Aur es un projècte espectaclós e respectat, que fa un grand ben e fa avançar las frontièras de l'art, de la sciéncia, del design e de la tecnologia. Fading Traditional Trades and Crafts Libre crea de sentiments intensos de desirs, evòca la passion, encoratja la creativitat e fascina.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- What makes this book unique is the use of the 3D embossing technique, not just embossing, to highlight the intricate details of the works meticulously crafted by traditional Singaporean artisans, from dragon boats to Peranakan beaded shoes. With the pastel chalk, the book encourages reader engagement by colouring pages to discover the lost art of our ancestors, as only we humans can help safeguard, support and bring attention to the significance of this intangible cultural heritage.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Book Box: 145mm (width) x 305mm (height) x 52mm (thickness)
Book Box Sleeve: 540mm (width) x 220mm (height)
Book: 140mm (width) x 298mm (height) x 40mm (thickness)
Book Sleeve: 530mm (width) x 298mm (height)
Inside pages (accordion fold): 4350mm (width) x 290mm (height)
3 Hard Covers: Inside Cover, Front and Back Covers - Tags
- Traditional Artisans, Traditional Crafts, Cultural Artifacts, Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Production Technology
- The making of this book explores how to combine traditional book forms with new technologies, make traditional book forms more interesting through unusual structures and visual stimuli, and push the boundaries of book design. The book is of significance to the design field because it not only records the traditional crafts for future designers to explore and contribute to the local craft landscape but also examines book design as a form of vanishing traditional craft.
- Design Challenge
- The project challenges were facing the covid-19 pandemic and the difficulty of making 3D embossed plates. Production of the book was delayed for 6 months due to the intricateness of the artefacts and further halted for 8 months due to the spread of the coronavirus. The team worked closely with the production houses to ensure things could move forward smoothly, and we are grateful that all challenges were managed well in the end.
- Research
- Given the scarcity of available resources, the approach included analysing oral history data collected by the National Archives of Singapore under the Vanishing Trades project in the 1980s and conducting fieldwork with current and retired artisans to understand the current situation and future substantiate the findings. The aim of the project is to document Singapore lost or vanished traditional crafts so that future generations can learn about them even after they disappear.
- Inspiration
- Working with traditional artisans, I learned that when our ancestors came to Singapore in the 19th century from Malaya, China and India, they brought their values and livelihoods with them. These livelihoods include various forms of traditional crafts that have largely enriched Singapore cultural heritage. Thus, it is essential to record these crafts, some of which have vanished or will vanish within the next 20 years, and trace their place to the roots of their meaningful beginnings.
- Project Duration
- The project started in May 2015 in Singapore and finished production in December 2021. The book is on sale from March 2022.
- Operation Flow
- The colour pages of the book symbolize the rise and fall of traditional crafts, as the industry begins its developmental period (dull colour) to its golden age (yellow colour) and gradually fades (white colour). The pastel chalk is attached for readers to shade the pages and discover the lost arts of this intangible cultural heritage of Singapore.
- Patents
- Copyrights belong to Jesvin Yeo, 2021
- Image Credits
- All images: Photographer Victor Gui, 2021 and 2022
